It has been a while since my last update on the layout so here is a quick review of what I have been doing.  As the title suggests, it has been a bit of slow going.  For those not familiar with muskeg, it is swampy, wet and muddy and usually very challenging to make progress through.  There is a lot of it in northern Manitoba, and people in my profession (geologist) are intimately familiar with the challenges of getting through it. 

Hello everyone,

I am starting this blog to show the creation and the beginning of my new shelf-type O scale, 2 rail switching layout. I am one of those O scaler's that would like to show that you do not need too much space to build an O scale layout. Here is a photo of the old layout. A few weeks back I removed this layout because it was just not working out for me. It had the old Atlas #3.5 turnouts and they were getting too old. I had code 148 which I also wanted to upgrade.

Model animation—bringing models to life—adds enormously to the interest and enjoyment of any layout or individual model!  Recently a fellow modeler (George hohon3) asked if there was a simpler and cheaper way to have flicker free car lighting in his passenger cars, without expensive keep-alive circuitry. I gave him some solutions already known in the hobby, but these were not satisfying him, nor me. I even referred him to the battery KOAS article in the November 2014 issue of MRH – but no, he wanted something simpler.

This is a very well done video, good to get the UP fan blood flowing. Some very nice camera angles and close ups.

After the hurricane of 1935 FEC abandoned the Oversea Railroad to Key West. The end of the line was MP 396 just south of Florida City. The whole area south and west of Miami was still fairly rural and a large produce growing area. My HO scale Florida City is based on a track diagram provided by former FEC engineer Richard Beall. I used modelers license and moved Naranja Quarry about 6 miles south and replaced the Farmers Market track. I like rock trains. 

Tropicana Warehouse is open for business! Just completed an N Scale building for my brother, John Calhoun with a few small details added.

I got the opportunity to start the new layout yesterday and I thought I'd share some day one photos. With a larger space the new layout "ate" all my old layout lumber in about 8 hours. I decided I'd build around all the major obstructions first. As mentioned yesterday drain pipes and water heater are scheduled to be moved unfortunately there is nothing I can do with the dryer exhaust hose unless someone out there has a solution I am not aware of.

The recent showing of TMTV showed some neat tools for making scale cuts in styrene to simulate siding. A set of calipers made for HO scale was shown. Where can these be found now, since Micro-Mark is sold out and  discontinued them? 

Thomas Gasior

I have just finished day 2 of benchwork on my Neenah Project. My friend James arrives after a long day at work and brings me some saw horses from another friend to help aid in my building project.  James always arrives with a friendly smile then comments on the new house we just moved into. So I take him downstairs to the "train room" and he immediately gets excited about my project and enquires where Neenah is going. Then you see him turn analytical after I explained the track plan further. He agrees with me on the trouble points and we discuss those.

If you would like to watch Railyard Productions  live broadcast you should "Follow" me on Twitter then you will get a message when I start my broadcast. http://twitter.com/robteed48808

9:00AM Saturday Morning May 2nd: Removing the Presidents casket from the Lincoln Funeral Car and placing it in the horse drawn hearse. I will be broadcasting this.